Opinion

Redevelopment of I-70, National Western a boon to Denver

The redevelopment of both I-70 and the National Western will solidify Denver as an event and entertainment destination. (Brenden Neville, Special to The Denver Post)

As one of Colorado's three interstates, I-70 plays an integral role in the state and regional economy, as it has for over 50 years. In Denver, it does nothing less than drive the local economy, and we strongly endorse the Colorado Department of Transportation's vision for the aging viaduct.

I-70 provides access to and from Denver International Airport, Downtown Denver, and many other attractions along the Front Range, while also preserving high-quality jobs in this vital urban corridor, which is home to over 1,200 businesses with over 22,000 employees, many of which rely specifically on their proximity to I-70 to deliver goods and services.

As a gateway into the city, I-70 feeds into our road networks, and these access points lead to thriving neighborhoods, business opportunities, and quality goods and services for our city, the Front Range and state. In fact, over 125,000 vehicles pass along I-70 in North Denver on a daily basis — and that's each way. Even as land use patterns have evolved, businesses and travelers alike have come to depend on the highway.

By providing access to our storied National Western Stock Show, the future of I-70 is also important as National Western re-envisions itself into a destination that focuses on hosting some of the best Western heritage events, with engaging educational opportunities and new economic (job creation) opportunities. This re-envisioning will build upon National Western's existing impact, which has driven more than $100 million in economic activity into the city on an annual basis, and consistently draws crowds in excess of 600,000 during the three weeks of Stock Show.

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Alongside partners like Colorado State University, History Colorado, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the city of Denver, this new operation will need an efficient and effective multimodal transportation system that works for the surrounding neighborhoods, local businesses and, yes, even cattle and cowboys, too.

We applaud and see value in the high level of collaboration between the city and county of Denver and CDOT to improve Interstate 70 between Brighton and Colorado boulevards. The partially lowered alternative is the product of that tremendous collaboration.

These solutions will create an environment that is supportive of the local community, and the restructured I-70 will provide much-needed congestion relief along this busy corridor. Combined, these infrastructure improvements will enhance this very important gateway into Downtown Denver.

Simply put, the redevelopment of both I-70 and the National Western will solidify Denver as an event and entertainment destination, and bring with it new place-making opportunities for the surrounding communities. As representatives of local and regional tourism organizations, we see the win-win for everyone involved.

We are encouraged by the leadership and ideas exhibited by the city and CDOT as they seek balance from many diverse interests, and we can't wait to see these improvements get underway.

Ron Williams is chairman of the National Western Stock Show. Richard Scharf is president and CEO of Visit Denver. Tami Door is president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership.

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